GDHQNHL15_4pg-New Jersey Devils 4

NJ Devils Gameday HQ

Goaltending
Losing a four-time Vezina Trophy winner and nine-time All-Star
would set some teams well back, but the Devils should be in pretty good
shape, even though Martin Brodeur is no longer with the club. That said,
losing the security of Brodeur, who played 20 seasons with the club and
was a linchpin on three Stanley Cup-winning clubs, will not be that easy.
Devils fans should be cheered by the play last year of 28-year old
Cory Schneider, who in 45 games logged a 1.97 GAA and posted a 16-15-12
record. His .921 save percentage was strong, and he was a sturdy goal-line
presence on a team that ranked ninth in goals allowed last year.
The Devils imported veteran Scott Clemmensen to back him up,
although he has struggled the past two years. It’s time to see how well
Schneider can handle a huge workload. There were times when Brodeur
played 75 or more games. Schneider won’t have to do that much, but he
will be in net quite often.
Power Play
After a 2012-13 season, during which Jersey converted on a woeful
15.91 percent of its power play opportunities, the team improved
considerably, scoring on 19.5 percent of its chances. There isn’t one bigtime
weapon on the man advantage; rather the Devils rely on a variety of
people to score. The results—at least last year—are generally good.
Adding Cammalleri to the mix should help. From 2005-09, he scored
double-digit power play goals. Although his numbers have shrunk
since then, he should contribute on the unit. Havlat hasn’t been that
productive on the advantage either in recent seasons, but he has thrived
there in the past. They’ll try to fit in with a group that includes Zidlicky
(eight goals), Henrique (seven), Gelinas (five) and Jagr (five). The depth of
Jersey’s options should put pressure on rival kills and allow the Devils
to show a variety of different looks, the better to create uncertainty
among opponents.
Penalty Kill
Just as New
Jersey bumped up its
power play success
considerably last year,
so too did the Devils
get better stopping
enemies from scoring
with an advantage. It
began in goal, where
both Schneider and
Brodeur were strong
all year. But there
was a lot more.
Andy Greene
played extremely
well up top on the kill,
which made it harder
for rivals to initiate the
passes that can lead
Jaromir Jagr
to good opportunities.
Even though Bryce
Salvador, another blue-line penalty killing stalwart, missed a good deal
of time with a fractured foot, he was sturdy while out there. Jersey
has a variety of forwards who performed well on this unit last year,
beginning with Henrique and Elias. Even though Gionta was part of the
third forward combination that tried to stop opposing power plays, he
still performed well. Finally, credit assistant Mike Foligno with putting
together a unit that was versatile and successful.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Three Questions
1.Can Schneider handle the load?
It’s one thing for someone to be a part-time goaltender; it’s quite another to be The Man. With Brodeur gone, Schneider is the main man
between the pipes, and he will get plenty of work. He has proven that he can thrive in a rotation. Now, it’s his job for keeps.
2. Will the scoring increase?
It doesn’t matter how good the defense or goaltending is. If the Devils don’t improve on last year’s 27th finish in goals scored, they won’t
be in the playoffs—again. The additions of Cammalleri and Havlat have to help, because the returning crew didn’t thrive last year.
3. Can the special teams shine again?
The answer to that one is a resounding “Yes”. Barring serious injury to a variety of players—particularly Schneider—the Devils should again
be strong on both the power play and the kill. Foligno does a good job with the kill, while there are enough options to create problems
when Jersey is a man (or two) up.
Prediction
This is not a team that challenge for the Cup, but there is a good chance New Jersey will reach the playoffs, after a two-year drought and
missing three of the past four years. The team has beefed up its offense, and the D should be solid again, particularly if Schneider can
handle the demands of a full season in net. The Devils will make the post-season but don’t expect a long stay.